


Bite Sized Ficlet: Bed Buddies

by Immorticon



Category: The Loud House (Cartoon)
Genre: F/M, Short & Sweet, greentext
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-27
Updated: 2020-10-27
Packaged: 2021-03-08 17:20:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 1,778
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27230350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Immorticon/pseuds/Immorticon
Summary: Lincoln's room has entered a veritable ice age, and must barter for his survival.Originally written: October 16-21, 2016Originally an experiment to see how much story I can crunch down into a single post on a thread (2000 characters).
Kudos: 3





	1. Luna

>Lincoln lies back on his pillow, pulling the sheets over him and his host.  
>"Hey Luna? Thanks for letting me bunk tonight."  
>Luna's eye cracks open at his voice, but they're too heavy for her to actually see him.  
>"It's, ah, s'cool, bruv," she mumbles softly, already so comfy snuggled under her sheets. She can't help yawning. "Sorry your room is, ah, too cold tonight. Ma...m'be dad will be home...'mrow..."  
>Lincoln settles in beside her, thankful to sleep somewhere warm for once.  
>"Good night, Luna."  
>"Hm."  
>Lincoln's room recently developed a heating problem.  
>Namely, that it didn't have any.  
>A blockage in the vent is his guess, but until dad comes home, it's too dangerous to sleep in.  
>He asked Luna if he could stay for the night, and was surprised she let him in at no catch.  
>Or at least not that he's seen yet.  
>Though to be fair, a favour owed is better than trying to sleep in his room.  
>He looks over at her sleeping face, before sighing and closing his eyes.  
>He wakes up to feeling something happening to his hand.  
>Cracking open an eye, he looks down and sees that Luna's fingers are intertwined with his.  
>She told him about this.  
>She and Luan would always hold hands wherever they went, and even when they shared a bed, would cling to each other.  
>She told him that since they've had separate bunks, they've kicked the habit.  
>Though seeing her sleep peacefully with his hand in hers, it seems she might not have tested that theory.  
>He wriggles his hand loose, watching her hand slowly pull back to it's original spot.  
>Yawning quietly, Lincoln settles back and quickly falls asleep.  
>...waking up a half hour later to find Luna's hand on his again.  
>He wakes up two more times before deciding to give up.  
>Guess a habit is hard to break.  
>Could be worse, really.  
>Accepting this as his payment for the night, Lincoln gently squeezes the rocker's hand before closing his eyes again.  
>The last thing he feels before sleep takes him is her squeezing back, sighing happily.


	2. Leni

>Leni sits in her bed, reading a magazine.  
>Her hair is combed, her teeth are brushed, and her skin is cleaned.  
>All she has to do now is relax until lights out.  
>*tp tp tp*  
>She looks up from the new winter lineup at the door with a "hm?"  
>Knowing Lori's busy talking to Bobby, Leni slips out from her covers and went to the door.  
>Pulling it open, she finds her favourite baby brother, shifting nervously.  
>"Hi Lincy," she greets, a smile on her face. "you know it's late, right? You should get to bed."  
>Lincoln peers down the hall to his room, then at her.  
>"Hey Leni. My, room's...too cold to sleep in. Can I-"  
>Leni grabs him by the shirt, yanking him in with a yelp.  
>"Boo-boo, could you hold on a second?" Lori says sweetly, before she turns to glare at her sister.  
>"What do you want, twerp?"  
>Leni steps in front of Lincoln before he could answer.  
>"His room's too cold," she says, resting a hand on his shoulder. "So he's bedding with-"  
>"Bunking," Lincoln corrects.  
>"-Plunking with me tonight," she finishes.  
>Lori stares at Leni, then leans back to look at her brother.  
>"Clogged vent?" she asks.  
>"...I think so."  
>She rolls her eyes before pulling her phone back to her ear.  
>"Sorry, Boo-Boo! No, Leni needed to ask me something. I got to go now, but I can keep texting? Love you. No, I love you. Ok, bye~"  
>Hanging up, Lori gives one last look at the two before rolling over.  
>"Whatever, just keep it down."  
>With a happy squeal, Leni dives into her bed, yanking Lincoln under the sheets with her.  
>"Yay, we're going to have so much fun, Lincy! We can talk all night! We can talk about girls while you do my nails, or about school, and-"  
>She flinches with a squeak when Lori throws a pillow at her.  
>"S-sorry, Lori."  
>"Good night, Leni."  
>Lori reaches behind her, darkening the room with a click.  
>Leni waits a moment for Lori to settle in.  
>Then she pulls Lincoln close, wrapping an arm around him.  
>This time lowering her voice to a whisper.  
>"So...do you like anyone at school?"


	3. Lori

>Lori pauses in the middle of her texting to glance at the time.  
>1:35 AM.  
>The glowing numbers cause her to falter in her current discussion with her beau.  
>She yawns deeply, and with a shuddering stretch of her back, her body suddenly starts acting like it's one AM.  
>A soft mumble beside her causes the oldest sister to look down.  
>Lincoln, curled in a small ball, sleeps beside her, twitching now and again.  
>Sometimes he even mumbles half-nothings, and if she's lucky, she can catch him snore.  
>It's adorable.  
>It's a cold night, and something's blocking the vent connecting the heater to his room.  
>It's been three days, and dad hasn't called anyone.  
>On the second day, Lori, ever the good sister, graciously offered him sanctuary.  
>If Luna says she took him in on the first day, she's a filthy liar.  
>Leni dragged Lincoln into her bed before she could be stopped.  
>She was excited to have a bedmate for the night, gushing, gossiping and girling until the two dorks passed out on top of each other.  
>And tonight's her turn.  
>Her gaze shifts, back and forth, between her phone and her dreaming sibling for a moment.  
>His fingers twitch again, the shivering shooting up his arms to his trembling face.  
>It's like watching a cat have a dream.  
>Adorable little weirdo.  
>"Lrr..." he breathes, relaxing again.  
>Lori watches his small chest rise and fall for a second, before focusing back on her phone.  
>She quickly taps out a "good night" to Bobby, then six more "I love yous" before placing the device on her nightstand.  
>Before she can stop herself, her hand reaches down and gently brushes Lincoln's hair.  
>He reacts to the affection, pushing his legs out to lazily stretch before rolling over to push into her side.  
>He settles down after draping an arm over her tummy.  
>Lori can't help but smile.  
>Shimmying down so her head's on her pillow, she returns the embrace before kissing her brother's forehead.  
>She yawns one more time, whispers a near-silent "good night," before closing her eyes.


	4. Luan

>Mom climbs the stairs, carrying a bucket of cleaning supplies.   
>Passing girls' rooms, she now has the time to clean the bath-   
>"So in exchange for sleeping with me-"   
> _Hello_.   
>"-I get to test three pranks on you."   
>"...Two pranks-"   
>Lincoln?   
>"-and I get fair warning."   
>Luan's door is cracked open.   
>Normally, she wouldn't invade her kid's privacy, but now her curiosity's piqued.   
>Peering in, she sees Lincoln and Luan, in their jammies, sliding into bed together.   
>"Just so you know, I'm a little grabby sometimes," her daughter yawns, wiggling down to rest her head.   
>"Yeah, Luna told me, it's cool," he answers, reaching over to grab her hand.   
>Alright.  
>Yeah, no.   
>"What's going on here?" mom asks, pushing the door open.   
>Luan looks at her calmly, and her son looks like a deer in the headlights.   
>"Why aren't you sleeping in your own room?" she pushes.   
>"My...my room's freezing," he stutters.   
>Mom rolls her eyes.   
>"This again? No it isn't, Lincoln. Now come on, leave your sister al-"   
>"No."  
>Mom blinks.  
>"...Excuse me?" she asks, glaring down at her son.   
>"I'm not...going to my room," he answers. "It's too cold."   
>She's on him in an instant, dragging him by the wrist into the hall.   
>"Ow! Mom, stop!"   
>"No butts, mister!" she snaps. "Come on! To bed!"   
>Luan watches them leave, then shrugs and lays back down.   
>He tries to resist, to pull back, to dig his heels into the carpet.   
>But mom easily pushes him towards his room.   
>"I won't say it again, young man! Go-"   
>She grabs the knob.   
>"To-"   
>She twists.   
>"Your-"   
>She flings the door open.   
>"Roo..."   
>She stares into his bedroom, then at him.   
>She can see her breath.   
>"First thing your father does when he gets home, is to call someone," mom says, sliding into her bed and pulling the covers over her. "I promise."   
>"Thanks mom," Lincoln mumbles, scooting aside to give her space.  
>"Good night, honey," she quips, tugging the lamp string.   
>"...Good night, mom."   
>"I love you."   
>He can feel the bed start to warm.   
>"...Love you too."


	5. Lynn (FINALE)

>It's two in the morning when the door opens.  
>Dad groans the moment his sore feet touch the carpet.  
>He slips off his coat.  
>He missed his house.  
>Almost as much as snack time.  
>He's halfway through fixing a sandwich when he sees the note.  
>"L, call electrician," he reads.  
>Scoffing, he makes short work of his meal before going to his room.  
>Slowly opening the door, he can make out of the snoring form of his wife.  
>Her hips swell up from under the sheets, her wonderful face is hidden in that mane of blonde.  
>Beautiful as the day he met her.  
>Dad quickly changes into his pyjamas, pulls back the sheets and slips...  
>...What's he doing here?  
>Lincoln, his only son.  
>In his spot.  
>Wrapped around his mother, his father's wife, like some kind of...spot-absorbing...baby koala.  
>Rita must think their boy's room is too cold.  
>Like his wife to overreact at the winter.  
>He watches Lincoln squeeze her waist and mutter.  
>No.  
>No, this won't do.  
>"Hey," dad whispers, tapping his boy's noggin, "Linc, hey. Wake up."  
>His eyes don't open, but Lincoln half-grunts an "uh?"  
>"It's time for bed," dad whispers, slipping a hand behind his back. "C'mon, let's go."  
>Lincoln grumbles, but doesn't fuss as his father hefts him into his arms.  
>Dad quickly walks out of his room, through the living room, up the stairs and into the hall.  
>He wants to go to bed so badly.  
>He doesn't feel the cold air.  
>Or notice Lincoln's door knob almost burn his hand with cold.  
>Or hear the hinges strain against frost.  
>Or see the cold coating his son's room, his sheets stiff as cardboard.  
>At first.  
>The instant he feels his son, his boy, start shivering in his arms, though?  
>He looks down at his fussing son and sees his breath in the air.  
>He looks back into his bedroom.  
>...  
>"Good night, son," dad whispers, tucking his boy in.  
>Lincoln immediately latches back onto his mother.  
>Dad goes to the closet, and sneaks out with a comforter.  
>He plops down onto the couch.  
>Well, better than some junk hotel.

~Fin~


End file.
